1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the invention generally relate to a chamber body for a vacuum processing system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Thin film transistors (TFT) formed by flat panel technology are commonly used for active matrix displays such as computer and television monitors, cell phone displays, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and an increasing number of other devices. Generally, flat panels comprise two glass plates having a layer of liquid crystal materials sandwiched therebetween. At least one of the glass plates includes one conductive film disposed thereon that is coupled to a power source. Power, supplied to the conductive film from the power source, changes the orientation of the crystal material, creating a pattern display.
With the marketplace's acceptance of flat panel technology, the demand for larger displays, increased production and lower manufacturing costs have driven equipment manufacturers to develop new systems that accommodate larger size glass substrates for flat panel display fabricators. Current glass processing equipment is generally configured to accommodate substrates slightly greater than about five square meters. Processing equipment configured to accommodate larger substrate sizes is envisioned in the immediate future.
Equipment to fabricate such large area substrates represents a substantial investment to flat panel display fabricators. Conventional systems require large and expensive hardware. The large size of the vacuum chambers makes them susceptible to deformation under vacuum conditions. For example, as the top and bottom of the vacuum chamber deflect inward under vacuum conditions, the sealing surface of the vacuum chamber body that interfaces with the slit valve door may become non-planar, making the seal between the slit valve door to vacuum chamber susceptible to leakage. Moreover, large deflections may cause the metal surfaces of the slit valve door and chamber body to rub, thereby creating unwanted particles that may be introduced into the vacuum chamber and contaminate the substrate. As future processing systems are envisioned to process even larger size substrates, the need for improved vacuum chambers capable of rapid transfer of large area substrates is a great concern.
Thus, there is a need for an improved vacuum chamber.